The tale of the Twin Towers

How one man's passion led to a 50,000-strong collection of images of the World Trade Center.

05 Sep 2011 09:41 GMT

Simon Leventhal, a dentist from New Jersey, began photographing the Twin Towers shortly after they were constructed in 1970 [Simon Leventhal]

What others saw as an example of "ugly" architecture, he saw as potentially magical [Simon Leventhal]

"On a rainy day the Towers could be dull; when the light was right they were magic," Simon explains [Simon Leventhal]

Over the course of 30 years, Simon took approximately 50,000 images of the Towers [Simon Leventhal]

"Atmospherics, local air traffic, time of year, time of day, rain or shine all contribute to the final product," he explains [Simon Leventhal]

Simon would drive down to the New Jersey shoreline several times a week, if time allowed, to take pictures of the Towers [Simon Leventhal]

"The skyline of New York is organic and ever-changing. Buildings are removed and new construction continues unabated. Each new structure changes the reflection of the scene and the overall appearance," Simon explains [Simon Leventhal]

His pictures captured the sunsets, sunrises, ice flows, ocean liners, people at leisure, seagulls, buildings going up, and even the Statue of Liberty - all set against the back drop of the Twin Towers [Simon Leventhal]

Simon never intended for the collection to be presented to an audience, but since their demise he has shared them in the hope that people will not forget how iconic they were [Simon Leventhal]

Since the Towers fell, Simon has continued to document the changing skyline. He says: "It is neither better nor worse, just different" [Simon Leventhal]

Simon Leventhal, a dentist from New Jersey, began photographing the Twin Towers shortly after they were constructed in 1970 [Simon Leventhal]

What others saw as an example of "ugly" architecture, he saw as potentially magical [Simon Leventhal]

"On a rainy day the Towers could be dull; when the light was right they were magic," Simon explains [Simon Leventhal]

Over the course of 30 years, Simon took approximately 50,000 images of the Towers [Simon Leventhal]

"Atmospherics, local air traffic, time of year, time of day, rain or shine all contribute to the final product," he explains [Simon Leventhal]

Simon would drive down to the New Jersey shoreline several times a week, if time allowed, to take pictures of the Towers [Simon Leventhal]

"The skyline of New York is organic and ever-changing. Buildings are removed and new construction continues unabated. Each new structure changes the reflection of the scene and the overall appearance," Simon explains [Simon Leventhal]

His pictures captured the sunsets, sunrises, ice flows, ocean liners, people at leisure, seagulls, buildings going up, and even the Statue of Liberty - all set against the back drop of the Twin Towers [Simon Leventhal]

Simon never intended for the collection to be presented to an audience, but since their demise he has shared them in the hope that people will not forget how iconic they were [Simon Leventhal]

Since the Towers fell, Simon has continued to document the changing skyline. He says: "It is neither better nor worse, just different" [Simon Leventhal]